Alternating current generator



May 24, 1949. c. s. ROYS 2,471,236

ALTERNATING CURRENT GENERATOR Filed March 29, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Ff I E0 TA TING Z; bye/7. 731

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May 24, 1949. c. s. RoYs 2,471,286

ALTERNATING CURRENT GENERATOR Filed March 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fEW EHZEF 64m J: Pays 7 Q ZM'W yMM @295 Patented May 24, 1949 2,471,286 ALTERNATING oURRE'NT' GENEEAT'om can s.- Roys', West Chicago; ii 'li., assmnor; byw

niesne assignments, to N pany;'a -corporati'on of Illinois Application Marches, 194e,.serinmtsstgoeo (0lf322- 96i 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to dynamoelectric machines,'and particularly to an improved alternating current dynamoelectric machine ofthe commutatontyp'e andrnethod of operation-of such machine.

Alternating current motors and generators which" have *been" heretofore known have been seriously limitedin' the scope of their application by certaininherentcharacteristics. The limitations'ar'e particularly apparent in the case of alternatingcur'refit generators of both the polyphase andsinglephase'type. There are many applications where" there is a recognized. need for alternating. cu'r're'nt'power but the available primamovers'areof the internal combustion type" engines in" which the speed of the engine mustnec'essarily'fvary over a wide range to accomplishthe'primary'purpose ofthe engine. A-

particul'arillustrationof such situation is the modern airplane, which is powered by one or moreinternal combustion engines having a Wide range of speeds during. normal operation of the plane.

It'has long been recognized that a source of A. C. poweremairomit'wbuld be particularly desirable for-operation of a variety of circuits,

particularly the navigational control instruments and the radi'o'instrum'ents." Due to the fact that all'known' commercial dynanioelectric' altern'ators vary in frequencydirec'tly with" the speed of their rotorait has'not'been possible to-apply an A. C. generator to aircraft applications without adding an excessive Weight of additional equipment to the'plane and,'of course, greatly increasing the cost of providing a source ofpower 0n the aircraft as compared with a D. C. generator.

Twoexpedients' have heretofore been common- 1y utilized-to supplyalternating current power in applications-where'the available prime mover constitutes a variable speed device. In one common arrangement; a D. C. generator is driven by the-'variablespeed primemover and the output of I this generator, inturn, drives a'D. C. motor. The D. C. motor, in turn; drives the A. C. alternator. Obvio-uslya'complicated and expensive control an rangement must *be' 'provided to carefully controlthe output vo1ta'ge"of=the- D; C. generatorin' such manner as *tdmaintain the-D10. motor at a 'subst'antiallyconstant speed" to insure the constancy'of-frequencyof the-A; C1 output. The

efiiciency of such arrangementis obviously 10W, inasmuch as the overall efficiency of the'unit is the product of thein'dividual efiiciencies.

Tlieother"expedient"reliedupon is the provision ofamechanic'alvariable speed drive connec'tion' betweemthe variable speed prime mover and the alternating current enerator. Such devices "were necessarily extremely. complicated, due to the wide-sped' range 'over which they had to operate and hence constituted a substantial weight academics-aircraft installations and were expensive, not only'in first cost; but in maintenance.

Even when constant speed 'prime'movers are available to drivealternating-current generators of "known dsig'n'at constant speed; the problem ofexact synchronizationof' such' generators arises whenever it is desi-red tooperate two or more conventional. alternating. current generators in-paralle'lr 7 Likewise ar'primar'y. deficiency. of alternating cur-rent motors of conventionaldesign is the fact that their speed-vari'essnbstantially with the frequency l of theapplied voltage? At the same time,- thespeedof suchconventional motors cannot be COHtrOIIGdfbYJ simple adjustments in the field circuit similarto direct current motor cont-role Accordingly it--is-=an :object of-this invention to provide an improved: alternating: current, dynamoelectric machine having; novel and desirable voltage; speednanda" frequency. characteristics;

Another 5 object 1c: ithis :inventibn is to provide an improved method-1 or operation oi a commutator type dynamoelectric machine to cause such machine to function as an alternating current-generator having:improvedcharacteristics.

A- fur tlienobject of thi's invention is to provide: are improved dynamoelectric' alternating current machine which, when operated as a generator; vv-ill yield- I? anoutput frequency substantially independent of speed-or, when operated as -amot'or, will function at aspeed substantially independent off variations in the frequency ofthe power supply;

Another objector this---'invention "is to provide an imprc'xve'd alternating current generator adapted-tabedriven"'by"a"variable speed prime mover and characterized by -the fact" that the output frequency of the generator is substantially independent ofbhth the sp'eedof the primemover and "the-chara'cte'r of the load su'pplied' by the generator.

A particular objeo't'ot'tln's inventionis to provideanimpiovfid"alternating current, commutatortype dynam'celectr'ic machine characterized-by the'ccnnection or fieidwinding in shunt totne pow'e'r"ternunms' ofthe' machine cited and whose output frequency can be readily varied over wide limits by simple adjustments in the field circuit of the generator and is independent of the speed of the rotor of the generator.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved alternating current dynamoelectric machine of the commutator type which, when operated as a motor, permits ready variation of the power factor of the'motor by simple adjustments in the field circuit of the machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved alternating current generator yielding an output voltage whose frequency is independent of rotor speed yet variable by simple adjustment in the field circuit of the generator and having an unusually accurate sinusoidal wave form which is unaffected by load variations or flux distribution around the air gap.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved alternating current dynamoelectric machine of the commutator type which will operate with a shunt field in a manner similar to the operation of a direct current, dynamoelectric machine and may be provided with series fields to yield compound or differential characteristics similar to those obtainable in a direct current dynamoelectric machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved alternating current generator particularly adaptable to parallel operation in that a plurality of such generators driven at different speeds may be connected in parallel to yield a common frequency output without the necessity of synchronizing such generators.

The specific naturelof this invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clear- 1y appear from the following detailed description of the appended drawings, which, by way of preferred example, illustrate several embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a dynamoelectric machine embodying this invention connected to operate as a self-excited alternating current generator;

Figure 2 is an equivalent mathematical circuit diagram of the generator of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sectionalview of a dynamoelectric machine embodying this invention and connected to operate as a motor;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional View of a dynamoelectric machine embodying a modification of this invention, showing the machine operating as a separately excited alternating current generator; and I Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of a plurality of generators embodying this invention connected for parallel operation.

As shown on the drawings: a

Fundamentally this invention comprises the utilization of an alternating current, commutator type dynamoelectric machine having an armature rotating relative to a field structure and pro- 4 viding a primary exciting winding on such field structure which is connected in shunt to the armature t-erminals of the dynamoelectric machine or energized by a separate source of alternating current power. The novel and improved performance achieved by this invention is accomplished by the introduction of capacitive reactance in series relation with the aforedescribed primary exciting winding field and proportioning such capacitive reactance to other circuit constants of the dynamoelectric machine to achieve certain desired results as will be brought out in detail later.

A further feature of this invention is the provision of a compensating winding on a dynamoelectric machine of the type described and arranging the compensating winding in such manner as to achieve a fixed relationship between circuit constants of the dynamoelectric machine to further improve the frequency, voltage and. speed characteristics as well as the commutation of such machine, whether acting as a generator or as a motor.

In Figure 1 there is shown a circuit diagram of a single phase, commutator type alternating current generator I embodying this invention. It should be understood that the single phase dynamoelectric machines shown in this application are merely illustrative as the principles of this invention may be readily applied to polyphase machines. The generator I comprises a conventional armature 2 having the usual winding thereon rotating relative to a field structure 1 supported on a frame 5. End coil connections of the armature winding are brought out to the commutator 3 with which the brushes 4 cooperate. The brushes are connected to supply power to any suitable load. circuit, indicated diagrammatically by the load impedance ZL.

A shunt field winding 6 is provided on generator I and may be mounted on the field structure i of the generator I in any one of several well known arrangements, and may be either a pole type or distributed winding. Field structure I, however, should preferably be laminated to reduce core losses inherent in the alternating current excitation of shunt field winding 5. The shunt field 6 is, in accordance with this invention, connected directly across the load terminals of the generator through a series connected capacitive reactance 8. The armature 2 of the generator is suitably connected to be driven by a variable speed prime mover I!) which may, for purposes of example only, comprise an internal combustion engine such as one of the engines utilized on aircraft. Accordingly the speed of prime mover ill varies over a wide range and is subject to speed varying conditions independent of the voltage, current or frequency desired in the load circuit ZL.

To further improve the output characteristics of generator I a compensating winding l2 may be provided which, in the specific modification illustrated in Figure 1, is shown as connected in series with the armature 2. It should be understood, however, that the compensating winding i2 may be energized in any other one of several well known circuit arrangements or may, in fact, comprise a short-circuited winding. The specific electrical characteristics of compensating winding 12 will be developed in detail later.

When the generator I is driven by prime mover it, an alternating current output voltage is generated and applied to the load ZL. With the described construction, the frequency of such generated voltage will be found to be determined by the circuit constants of the generator, as will be developed mathematically later, and such frequency is substantially independent of the speed of the prime mover H] or the nature of the impedance of the load Zn In other words, the generator i functions as a self-excited shunt A. C. generator delivering a single phase alternating current voltage of substantially constant frequency, irrespective of the speed at which the armature 2 is driven by prime mover I0. The output voltage of such generator may be readily controlled in a manner similar to the control of a self-excited D. 0. generator by varying the excitation or" the shunt field 6 through the medium of a series connected, variable resistor 14.

The foregoing unusual performance characteristics of the self-excited alternating current generator embodying this invention have been Verified by experiment but may be proved by mathematical analysis.

In Figure 2 there is shown a schematic circuit diagram of an alternating current commutator type generator embodying this invention with impedance symbols applied to the various eleme of the generator and its associated circuit ts. Thus in Figure 2 the impedance of the -ature 2 is represented by Za which, of course, "and be understood to have both resistance and eactive components Ra and Xa, respectively. The .edance of compensating field I2 is represented Zc; the impedance of shunt field 6 by Zr (which also includes the variable resistance 14); the im edance of the condenser 8 is represented by X; the load impedance is of course Zn, having resistance component R1. and reactance component XL; Xm is the mutual reactance between the armature winding and the shunt field winding Xac is the mutual reactance between the armature winding and the compensating field winding it; and v is defined by 21rfl) being the angular velocity of the armature 3 in radians per second where is the frequency of the generated voltage.

Now let then if It is the current flowing in the field circuit mesh and II. the current flowing in the load circuit mesh, the voltages around each mesh may e equated as follows:

(Z1+Z2) I+ 2 L m I= {Z1 f LIL= Solving Equations 1 for Ir by determinants,

0 2) zen-11X," Z2. Z "Z Equating reals and imaginaries of Equation 3 Hence when the generator I operates self-excited, the frequency of the generated voltage will be such as to satisfy Equation 5. The voltage generated will build up to satisfy Equation 4.

Now in accordance with this invention, the compensating field winding I2 is designed to substantially neutralize the effects of armature reaction. Hence Hence the frequency of the generated voltage at no load is substantially the resonant frequency of the field circuit mesh.

In order to satisfy Equation 4 the generated voltage will build up such that just as in the case of a D. C. self-excited, shunt enerator.

Under load conditions, when IL is not zero, we derive from Equation 2 above Zr(Z1+ZzvXm) +Z1Z2=0 or Equating reals and iinaginaries of Equation 7 to zero,

and

Now if the compensating winding is properly de signed to substantially neutralize armature reaction, then X2=(Xa+Xc-2Xac) =0 (approximately) So that Equations 3 and 9 become (10) RL(R1|R2i)Xm) +R1R2XLX1=O (l1) XL(R1+R2UXm)+(RL+R2)X1=0 It should be noted that for a pure resistance Hence the generator functions at the same frequency as at no load.

Equation 10 may be rewritten as Substituting this into Equation 11,

W ,=0 Solving for X1 X1 RIRZX L Now if Rz.=0, Equation 12 becomes If the load is a pure inductance, XL=21rfLr., hence from (13) f= 1 21r /L;C' Thus the generator will generate a frequency substantially identical to the no load frequency for a pure inductive load. By similar reasoning it can be developed that substantially the same I frequency is generated for a pure capacitance load.

Returning now to a general impedance load Zr. having both resistive components R1. and reactive components XL,

(15) ZL2=RL2+XL2 Dividing both sides of Equation 12 by R1 and substituting 21. Equation 12 becomes X X RL+ R1 Now let w=21rfo where in is no load, let y=variation of w=wo(l+y).

Since w from. we or which for small values of 1 becomes the frequency at From Equation 19 it is obvious that y will be very small providing the quantity we RQXL is large-on the order of or greater.

Now

2QZL (Z n) R2 X1, R2 XL ()bviously Zr XL will always be greater than or equal to 1. For all practical generator designs, Q will be greater than 5 or 10 and 2 will be greater than 10, even in small machines. Hence will always be greater than 100, and accordingly y, the frequency variation from no load frequency, will be less than one per cent.

The foregoing mathematical analysis has of course neglected such minor indeterminate factors as commutator ripple and indicates that, except for such minor factors, the generated frequency is substantially independent of both the speed at which the rotor of the generator is driven and of the character of the load which the generator supplies. It further indicates that the frequency at which the generator operates, when the compensating field is properly designed to satisfy the conditions of the Equation 6, is substantially the resonant frequency of the series circuit of the shunt field inductance and the series connected capacitive reactance X.

' Obviously the frequency of the generated voltage of a generator embodying this invention may be readily varied by simple adjustments in the field circuit of the generator, 1. e., either by varying the capacitance of the condenser 8 or by vary ing the inductance of shunt field 6. Obviously a variety of well known arrangements for varying,

inductance or capacity in the shunt field circuit will be suggested to those skilled in the art.

The importance of the step of inserting a suitable capacitance in the field winding circuit of a self-excited commutator type generator in accordance with the method of this invention for operation of a dynamoelectric machine can be better appreciated when it is considered that without the condenser, the dynamoelectric machine will function as a direct current generator.

Accordingly, an alternating current generator embodying this invention may be utilized as a variable frequency source and hence is of value for instrument calibration and similar applications. In connection with such precision applications, it should be noted that the wave form of the output voltage of a generator embodying this invention approaches to a remarkable degree a pure sinusoidal wave; furhermore, the wave form of the output voltage of this generator is not affected by the flux distribution in the air gap or by the load conditions of the generator. Furthermore, an alternating current generator in accordance with this invention permits the attainment of compounding characteristics similar to a D. 0. generator. Suitable series fields (not shown) may"beadded-"to'thegenerator Ito provide "compound or "differential Voltage-characteristics.

It is of course'a well known fact that any dynamoelectric'machine may be reversibly utilized as a generator'or a motor. Hence a dynamoele tric machine embodying this invention may be advantageously utilized as a motor and will provide performance characteristics heretofore unobtainable by motors of conventional design In Figure 3 there is shown a dynamoelectric machine 20 embodying this invention which is identical in all respects to the generator I of Figure 1 with the exception that the dynamoelectric machine 20 is connected to receive power from an alternating current power source Hand to drive a rotating load 24. Correspondin numerals of the motor 20 indicate similar parts on the gen erator I and it will be noted that a capacitive reactance 8 is again connected in series with the H shunt field winding 6. I

The motor 20 has the unusual characteristics of operating at substantiallyconstant speed for any set of motor circuit constants-independent of the frequency of the alternating current power source 22. The self-excited; alternating current motor 20 has the further characteristic of being susceptible of speed control in the same manner as a D. C. motor. For-example, a series winding (not shown) maybe provided 'to yield or differential speed "characteristics of the A. C. motor 20 with loads Asin thecaseof a D. C. motor, speed controlof the alternating current motor'ZB may bebroughtabout by variation of the armaturevoltage or of the field excitation. The latter form of control can :ofcourse be accomplished by varying an adjustable resistor I4 provided in the'field circuit'or by any other one of the well known arrangements for controlling the speed of a D.'.C-motor.

A further unusual performance feature of a motor embodying this invention is the fact that, the power factorof the motor maybe controlled by simple adjustments in the field circuit of the motor. Such power factor variations may be accomplished varying the capacity of reactance 8 or the inductance in the shunt field winding 6 or in the shunt field w-inding circuit;

A modification of this invention is shown in Figure 4 of the drawings wherein a generator 59 of similar construction to the generator of Figure 1 is again arranged to be driven by a variable speed prime mover IE. While the generator isprovided with shunt'windin'g 6. and compensating winding I2, in a'simi'lar manner to the L4 generator of Figure 1, the shunt winding ii in this modification is connected through a capacitive reactance 8 and a, variable resistance It to be" energized from an external source of alternating current power 30. With this arrangement the frequency of the output voltage generated by generator 2 and applied to the load ZL will be identical with the frequency of the external source of alternating current power 38.

The alternating current generator 56 thus r sembles a separately excited D. C. generator. In this modification the capacitive reactance 8 inserted in the circuit of the field winding 6 does not control the frequency output of the generator fhowever, such capacitive reactance greatly dee creases the reactive kv.-a. required to be supplied to energize the field winding 5 and accordingly permits the excitation of the generator at from a relatively low voltage source of alternating current power. Alternatively, the provision of the compound iii - ators are shown to pensating windings I2 i1- art that 10 capacitivefreactance 8" in I series -with. the field winding 6 permits suchfieldwinding to be formed. by relatively small wire: and Ito include a large number of turns. To achieve thesame-degree of field excitation with'outthe capacitivereactance 8, the field winding Iiwouldhave tobe formed of large conductorshavingrelatively few turns in order to ."maintain'the inductive reactance of the field winding circuit at a lowvalue;

The .modified generator arrangement of Figure i has the samexcharacteristics'asthat of Fig uresl in that theoutputfrequen'cy of the generatoris also in'dependent'of the'nature orcharacter of the load Zh. Theoutput voltage may be readily. adjusted inta manner similarito control of D. C. generators by simple adjustments in the field "circuit; such as varying the variable-resis tor I l."

The properties of the described."generators' are particularly noteworthy in" high frequency applicationssuch for example-as when the gener-' atoris' utilized: as a power source forinduction heating apparatus; inventionheretof ore In both modifications of this described;- a generator embcdying' this invention mayl beutilized to produce an output voltage 'having'a frequency up. to a thousand cycles without requiring-a high speed forthe rotor'cf 'the'generator'or a large number of poles, or special design of the fi'eld'winding circuit to reduceLthe inductance thereof in order to utilize an exciter ofI'reasonabl'e voltage rating.

Another outstanding advantage of self-excited generators embodying this invention lies in the adaptability of such generators to parallel .op-

eration. In Figure'5 there is'disclosedacircuit diagram illustrating in schematic forma typical circuit connection of two self-excited l and l, respectively, for parallel op'eration to supply a load ZL. While only two such". gener-- be connected in paralleL'it should" be understood: that similar operating characteristics will accrue. for any.. number. of such generators connected in parallel' Gener ators l and l are substantially, identical in con- 7 .struction having self-excited sh'unt field windings d and e which. are connected across the output terminals of the generators through series.

connected capacitive reactances 8 .and afand adjustable resistors Id'and M, respectively. Com- A switch lcis provided .to connectthe gen eratcr i in parallel with the generator I and a switch $2 is provided to connect the parallel operating generators to the common load ZL.

it will be understood by those skilled in the if generators of conventional design were substituted for the generators I and I it would then be necessary to accurately synchronize the respective output voltages of the generators before effecting a parallel connection therebetween. With generators embodying this invention, each of the generators prior to their connection in parallel will generate a substantially constant frequency, independent of the speed of the respective prime movers, which is determined by the circuit constants of the individual, generator circuit. Upon closing of the switch to connecting the generators I and I in parallel, the two generators will then operate at a common frequency and, if there was a difference between their two frequencies in their ungenerators and 12 are provided to coupled condition, the common frequency will lie between the two individual frequencies of the generator. Such connection can be made by the simple expedient of closing the switch 40 and requires no synchronization of any kind. Closing of the switch 42 will then connect the parallel connected generators to supply the load Zn.

The voltage applied to load Zr. will be of substantially constant frequency and will not be affected by variations in speed of either of the independent prime movers l and I0, nor by the character of the load ZL. Division of the load beneath the two parallel connected generators may be conveniently accomplished by adjusting the variable resistors I4 and 14 in their respective field circuits. Likewise the individual power factor of the generators l and I' may be varied by adjusting the capacitive reactances 8 and 8' respectively. If the reactance adjustment in the field circuit of the generator I is made substantially equal and opposite to the reactance adjustment of the field circuit of the generator I then the output frequency applied to the load Z1. will not change while the individual power factor of the generators I and I' may be substantially varied. Load division between the two generators may also be accomplished, if desired, by controlling the speed of the respective prime movers l0 and I0 inasmuch as the output voltage of each of the generators is variable with the speed of such generators or by the provision of series fields utilized in the same manner as in D. C. generators.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a dynamolelectric machine embodying this invention provides unusual performance characteristics for an alternating current, commutator type dynamoelectric machine. Dynamoelectric machines embodying this invention provide novel and desirable relationships between the speed, frequency and load characteristics of the machine which have heretofore been impossible of attainment without resorting to auxiliary apparatus.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim asmy invention:

1. A self-excited, constant frequency, alternating current, commutator type generator comprising an armature winding, an exciting field winding wound on the field structures of said machine and disposed in cooperative relation to said armature winding, a capacitive reactance connected in series with said field winding, means connecting said capacitive reactance and said field winding to be energized in series by the generated voltage of said armature winding, said capacitive reactance being selected to substantially neutralize the inductive reactance of said field winding circuit at a predetermined frequency, and a compensating field winding on said generator constructed and disposed on common field structures with said exciting field winding and positioned in magnetic relation to said armature so as to substantially neutralize armature reaction flux, whereby the generated output of said generator will be substantially equal to said predetermined frequency and independent of the speed of the generator or character of the load supplied.

2. In a generating system, in combination, a plurality of varying speed prime movers, a plurality of self-excited, commutator type, alternating current generators respectively driven by said prime movers, each of said generators having an exciting field winding, a condenser connected in series with said field winding, means connecting said field winding and condenser to be energized in series circuit by the generated voltage or" the respective generator, a compensating field winding constructed and disposed on said machine in cooperating magnetic relationship with said exciting field winding and armature so as to substantially neutralize armature reaction flux, and means connecting the outputs of said generators in parallel to supply a load, whereby the load current is of substantially constant frequency independent of differences in variations of speed of the respective prime movers and the character of the load.

CARL S. ROYS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 390,930 Westinghouse Oct. 9, 1888 1,374,041 Turbayne Apr. 5, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 408,198 Great Britain July 2, 1932 697,198 France Oct. 21, 1930 

